Weightlifting at the 1932 Summer Olympics

Dates 30 – 31 July 1932
Medal Events 5

The 1932 weightlifting competitions were held at the 15,300 seat Grand Olympic Auditorium, which also hosted the boxing and wrestling events. The venue stayed open, hosting boxing, professional wrestling, and musical acts, until the 1980s when it was closed. It was re-opened in 1993, but in 2005 was purchased by the Glory Church of Jesus Christ, a Korean-American Christian Church.

Because of the world-wide depression and the long distance of travel to Los Angeles, there were very few entrants, and thus the competitions were held on only two days, 30-31 July. They were also the first competitions at the 1932 Olympics, with two classes (lightweight and light-heavyweight) held on the evening of the Opening Ceremony. The Olympic records were either equalled or surpassed in all classes, but no lifter defended their title. As in Amsterdam in 1928, the contestants contested a triathlon competition, consisting of a military press, snatch, clean & jerk, a format that would last through the 1972 Olympics.

The Olympic Champions came from France (3), and Germany and Czechoslovakia (1 each). The Americans participated for the first time in weightlifting (except for 1904) with 10 competitors but had to be content with two bronze medals. There had been no World Championships contested since 1923, so the favorites were considered those who had featured at the most recent European Championships.

Events

Event Status Date Participants NOCs
Featherweight (≤60 kilograms), Men Olympic 31 July 1932 6 4
Lightweight (≤67½ kilograms), Men Olympic 30 July 1932 6 4
Middleweight (≤75 kilograms), Men Olympic 31 July 1932 7 6
Light-Heavyweight (≤82½ kilograms), Men Olympic 30 July 1932 4 3
Heavyweight (>82½ kilograms), Men Olympic 31 July 1932 6 4
29 (29/0) 8 (8/0)

Medals

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Featherweight, Men Raymond SuvignyFRA Hans WölpertGER Tony TerlazzoUSA
Lightweight, Men René DuvergerFRA Hans HaasAUT Gastone PieriniITA
Middleweight, Men Rudolf IsmayrGER Carlo GalimbertiITA Karl HipfingerAUT
Light-Heavyweight, Men Louis HostinFRA Svend OlsenDEN Henry DueyUSA
Heavyweight, Men Jaroslav SkoblaTCH Václav Pšenička, Sr.TCH Josef StraßbergerGER

Medal table

NOC Gold Silver Bronze Total
France FRA 3 0 0 3
Germany GER 1 1 1 3
Czechoslovakia TCH 1 1 0 2
Austria AUT 0 1 1 2
Italy ITA 0 1 1 2
Denmark DEN 0 1 0 1
United States USA 0 0 2 2